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 Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 1:23 pm
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 Once he had seen the stars fall from Heaven; his destination was made clear. The crimson lion had left his sacred homeland many moons ago and was far beyond the reach of the spirits. A small part of him mourned their companionship, the constant presence that had followed him since cubhood. Another part of him with alated with the prospects of new ventures.
The lush green of the Roguelands made way to sand and redstone, the days became hotter and the nights became more sinister. On more than one occasion he had thought about turning back on himself and following the pawprints he had left in the sand, to find flora once more. Maybe he could avoid the dunes altogether? Yet, every time he doubted his direction, he would find some comfort that encouraged him onward - small oasis, another clue to where he was.
He had crossed what seemed like a battlefield. Blood stained rock was broken and cracked, in the air the scent of iron lingered thick. He _knew_ there was life nearby and that every passing day brought him closer to a Pride. It was not the first Pride he had come across; but he wondered what beasts would make such a land their home? A land so different to the green realm of his birth.
Finally, after it seemed like he had been wandering in sand for eons, he came across a border and picked up the first scent marking since he left the greenlands. Aadinatha stood up a little straighter when the realisation hit him, carrying his bulk and muscle proudly. He was a large male in his prime, it was not in his nature to enter any territory sheepishly.
There was no doubt that some kind of guard would be along soon, especially if that battlefield was recent.
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Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 8:47 am
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"Again."
The voice was short and curt, though there was some hint of underlying affection in the way it pronounced those two syllables. Azzan was a trainer and had been a Claw far longer than most of their pride members had even been alive but even with all of that, he could not rid himself of the pride and hope he held for any of his children, not even his sassy, bold little Eifa.
The adolescent clenched her jaw as she was stopped yet again; the hopeful Claw in her wanted so badly to learn, but the adolescent hormones were begging her to mouth off at her too-patient father. When she flashed a pair of cool, grey-blue eyes at him he smirked. That face reminded him so much of her mother that he was having a hard time being concerned with her anger. Of course, the mockery only made the anger in her eyes swell and it was all he could do not to laugh at her outright.
 "I said again, Eifa. Your glowering will not sway your old man."
With a huff, she turned and stalked back into the high, dry grasses that bordered the desert sands. Her hide was not good for camouflage here but she assumed that was the point of their training today, teaching her to make the most of what she was given in any situation. She lowered herself nearly to her belly, as low as she could get on awkward, still growing legs while managing to keep her power bunched within the muscles. She took a step forward, slowly, then another, focusing on the sight of him over the tops of the thrush.
Suddenly, Azzan's head snapped up and away from her; every ounce of amusement and joy drained from his face and Eifa recognized the look that replaced it. Her father was, after all, a soldier by nature. She raised her head to catch the down wind draft that was rustling the blades of long grass about her and realized what it was that had changed him.
There was a rogue nearby.
"To me," her father's words were short but she knew the command. In a few quick steps, she was at his shoulder with her head high. She was an unbranded but she knew, too, that she was his daughter. The old man played favorites with his trainees and at that moment, as a gnawing fear settled in the pit of her belly, she couldn't blame him. They both turned their eyes out to the horizon but he spotted it well before she ever did. As he stepped forward, she did so in unison, a squadron of two that planted themselves between the incoming stranger and the pride heart beyond them.
"Stop."
The word was loud, short, and full of every ounce of command her father held. She knew she should have kept her eyes on the male walking ever close to them but she found herself staring at her father in profile, awed as ever by his strength. Her daddy was the strongest in the world, she was absolutely convinced.
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Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:34 am
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And there was the guard.
The older lions command was every bit a warning, but the hulking male took a few more, facetious steps before finally coming to a halt. His tongue ran flat against the roof of his mouth as he squinted into the sunlight to make out the two figures that stood before him. It seemed the spirits were trying him; not only was he outnumbered, but he had the lower ground and the sun in his eyes. The thought made him smirk mischievously.
The hulking male stood straighter, looking onwards with pale eyes framed by dark lashes and numerous scars. Given the evidence he wore on his pelt, he was no stranger to meetings going array. “Who commands it? Do you speak for the Pride?” He called back, his voice thick with an accent that the forest had bred over the years. He could not be sure if these two were a part of the group he was seeking, or like himself, two rogues that were lurking where they should not.
The male took one more, rebellious step forward, his muscles moving and stretching his pelt. Skadi, by nature, had never been very good at following orders. His actions were not hostile, but a reflection of the culture he had left behind. Aadin was not looking to start a fight, even if the cocky air he carried suggested otherwise.
As a cloud passed over the sun, he finally caught a glimpse of the two lions that stood before him. The male shared his colouration, though a more vibrant variation. Orange fur and a dark mane that was greying on the ends. Admittedly, he was impressed that such a authoritative voice could come from a male so clearly passed his prime. Though, as his pale gaze settled onto the female by his side he could not help but to pause.
He was unsure if the surprise on his face was easy to read, but something had unsettled him. The young female was so different to the male that he did not presume them to be related, but so reminiscent of a ghost from his past that he truly believed the spirits were mocking him. It made a low chuckle rumble in his throat as he released the girl from his gaze.
The male sat then, defeated. His thick, unruly, mane obscuring his eyes in an all too familiar way. “What is your name girl?” |
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 1:22 pm
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"Yes," was Azzan's immediate response. Every step that the male took forward sealed the rigidity in his bones the last one, defiant even though he had been warned, made the male's claws unsheathe and dig into the earth beneath them. Had he been younger, had his daughter not been here, perhaps he would have attacked first and asked questions later; as it were he simply kept his eyes locked upon every movement that he made and had his command for Eifa held close to his tongue. If this went awry, she would need to run.
"I am Azzan, Claw of the Ukulwa'Izwe, Scion of Tahka. You are within our boders and need answer for your presence before you are forced to answer with blood."
The scars that littered the other male's pelt were a deterrent, anyone sporting that many scars was not unaccustomed to battle. He was arrogant and flippant regarding Azzan's commands but the male did not really want to try to slit his throat - at least not until he addressed his daughter.
"She's none of your concern," he spat through gritted teeth. However, at his side, Eifa was shifting. She had noticed what her father had not - the binding markings that circled this rogue's two front paws. She bore them herself, as well as the one at her throat that was a gift of her mother. In fact, only the marking along her shoulder blades even noted her as her father's child.
"Papa," she mumbled next to his ear, "look at his paws."
Azzan was confused for the space of a breath, but as his eyes dropped, some of his anger abated a little.
"Those could be from anywhere, Eifa. It does not mean anything."
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 3:39 pm
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“Let’s not get off to the wrong paw, old man. You will get your answers, as soon as I get mine.” His words were firm, but free of aggression for now. The girl, like himself, seemed all too aware of the similarities they shared. That under his thick mane, his throat was marked in the same way hers was. Her father, on the other paw, seemed less convinced.
He was sure. So much so he would wager his own life on his intuition. Aadin had seen the girls face before, worn by another female who he cared for dearly. His sister was little older than Eifa was when she had left the sacred forest, looking at her double before him - was like looking into his past. His heart ached as a sudden fear settled in his gut. The male had always imagined her in a land far away, living in peace; not on the edge of a battlefield.
The worry in his eyes could have so easily been misjudged as anger. He tried to best not to have his voice betray his feelings. Still, as the older male snapped at him, he found it impossible to hold back the venom on his tongue.
“This girl, my blood, is my concern, and what she tells me in the next few moments will determine if I greet you as your brother, or as your reaper.” A low growl bubbled in his throat. The male in front of him was a warrior, Aadin knew his own kind; yet, after a certain number of years the benefits of experience became redundant under tiring muscles and aching joints. Both males must have known, if it came to blows, who had the advantage.
Aadin’s brow furrowed into a ‘v’ as his harsh eyes passed from the male, to the girl once more. Instantly, they softened. Even his voice, became kinder in the space of a breath. “Eifa.” He called to her, trying to give the girl no reason to fear. “Where is your mother, child? Is she well?” He could not help but let concern taint the words he spoke. The hulking male wanted to reserve judgement until he was given a reason to suspect the worst. However, he doubted he would feel any kind of peace until he saw her with his own eyes.
He could not trust a stranger to tell him the truth, but he could trust his own kin. |
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:30 am
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Eifa felt the tension that drew her father's muscles tight, she need not even look in his direction to know that he was a hunter ready to spring regardless of the outcome of this tussle. Her father's lineage was a proud one and insult did not fall upon them kindly - coupled with her mother's fiery temper, well. Eifa would have given the Queen herself a run for her money in that moment.
Despite her father's low grunt of objection, she stepped forward so that she was a shoulder forward of the older Claw. Her tuft-less head rose with pride so that as she looked up toward this rogue, she need do it down the line of her dark nose. Her eyes were not the same shade of her mother's but she channeled the older lioness, filling them with every ounce of indignant fury that she had ever seen Chau layer upon someone that talked ill of her family.
"In these lands you should hold your tongue when speaking to a Scion of Tahka lest you would like for us to rip it out." His gentleness was not lost entirely upon her but what did a stranger that looked like her mean if he was going to threaten her father? "I am not a child, I am an unbranded of the Ukuhlwa'Izwe, Scion of Tahka and daughter of Azzan and Chau. One day, I will be a great warrior and I will make my parents proud."
Behind her, though he was worried endlessly for her in the face of this stranger, Azzan already seemed to be swelling with pride. Eifa continued, oblivious.
"My mother is at home with my brothers and sisters and if you would like to see her, which I think you do, then you should think about talking a little more kindly to my father."
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:10 pm
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The large male growled, low and deep, from his chest. “Rip out my tongue? I would like to see you try to reach.” The words came on a rumble, their tone far too playful to be a real threat. The growl itself was more reminiscent of the sound that males made when they were sparing; rather than staring down a foe. “And if you take after your mother as you appear to. You will never see the day in which you are able.” Chausika was the runt of their litter and even when she left, she had not grown much bigger. Her belly was always too close to the ground, spirits above him, he mourned that he missed the sight of her pregnant; it must have been hilarious.
Unable to keep a straight face anymore, and with a heart full of joy. Aadin laughed loud and fierce, shaking his thick mane and stumping a paw onto the cracked dirt. When he was able to breathe again, his pale eyes settled on his niece. “Calm down, oh fiery one. If what you say is true - then, this is all a misunderstanding. I have no intention of harming your old man.” His brow furrowed at the thought as he turned to look at Azzan once more.
He was not what Aadin would have expected - but he seemed to hold status in these lands. Then again, all the grandeur in the world would not be enough to entice his fiercy little sibling. No, if she was back in his den she must have cared for him. That, in a way was even more perplexing.
He shook his head; who was her to judge what she found attractive? “What do you say? Azzan. Shall we draw a line in the sand and stop his nonsense now?” The male rolled his paw, as if to sweep the whole situation under a rock. He suddenly had no interest in the usual display of manliness and testosterone. Not when he was so filled with joy at the prospect of new nieces and nephews.
“If you forgive my loose tongue; I will forgive you for bedding my favorite sister. We will call it even, laugh about it in time, maybe.” The large male shrugged before leaning towards the ground as if he was going to pounce. He looked at Eifa from a lower angle as if to mock her. “That is, if this one does not want to try make good on her promise, first?” He smirked, sticking out his tongue to taunt her with it. |
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Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2019 3:37 pm
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Though he made a great show of the difference in their sizes, Eifa did not budge an inch at his insinuation. The idea of taking after her mother made her swell with pride, no matter if he meant to imply that she was going to be tiny and inefficient. She had seen the scars that littered Chau's coat and knew how proud the pride was of the Queen's vengeance. This Uncle, or so he claimed to be, was underestimating her mother and her.
But it didn't stop the small, quick smile on her mug.
Azzan, unfortunately, was not so pleased. He sighed and glanced sidelong at his daughter, not missing the way she appeared to be enamored with this goofy, bull headed uncle of hers. He supposed, too, that Chau would want to see her brother if he had come all this way. It was strange that she had never mentioned him but he supposed they had spent a long time focused on his family and his pride, not so much her own. Except for the snow; he would figure out a way to bring that to her one day.
"If you think I was the one that instigated this bedding then you are sorely mistaken about your sister." The words were delivered with a deadpan expression on his face but they could not be mistaken for aught but a joke; in fact, Eifa rolled her eyes up to look at her father with a narrowed gaze and a wrinkle of her dark nose that suggested this was far more than she ever wanted to know. Azzan laughed under his breath and turned - the male would either follow or he wouldn't. He didn't really care.
"Oh, I'll get you one day," she countered, "when you're least expecting it."
She smirked, more confident than she ought to have been, and turned to follow in her father's footsteps where they pressed into the thick, clay-like earth.
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